Chuck Bloom is a former publisher-owner-editor of several Texas community newspapers for more than 25 years before retiring, winning dozens of journalism awards and serving as former president of two regional press groups.

Monday, May 15, 2006

National Guard is NOT the answer to border security

Enough buffoonery! My dander is up and the President’s speech tonight, suggesting that the National Guard be employed to patrol the southern borders in order to stop the leak/flow of illegal immigrants into the country, forces me back to my blog.President Bush will announce his intention to send thousands of National Guard troops, supposedly on inactive duty, to assist the Border Patrol, in plugging the leaks along the U.S.-Mexico border.Who will comprise this force is unclear, since so any Guardsmen are in Iraq and Afghanistan. How much it will cost and who will pay is not even questioned by an administration which has long forgotten about the deficit and the unwillingness to pay-as-you-go in fiscal matters.Why there isn’t an immediate push to double or triple the Border Patrols is also curious. Instead, everyone is lining up behind a stop-gap measure which could have been instituted a long time ago. But it wasn’t until the politics of immigration began to tear away at the Republicans and Bush White House that action replaced blathering.Curious about that, too …Naturally, when it comes to Mexico, Bush does nothing without consulting his most important advisor, which is apparently Mexican President Vicente Fox. More decisions seem to be made to keep Fox in power than what is best for the United States.Fox is reported to have called President Bush over the weekend to express concern over using the military on the border, and Bush reassured him that it would be only a “temporary” measure to bolster the overwhelmed Border Patrol agents, the White House said.“The president made clear that the United States considers Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of Border Patrol capabilities on a temporary basis by National Guard personnel,” said White House spokesperson Maria Tamburri in Monday’s Washington Post.Why our buddies in the Fox administration can’t do more to help us is never broached. Curious about that …Bush’s speech is not aimed at the American public; it is directed to massaging the egos, souls and politics of House Republicans, who have always wanted harsh enforcement measures against workers illegally in this country. Bush is hoping that rhetoric will be substituted for action and the House GOP will fall into line on the President’s still vague guest-worker program which would allow for undocumented workers to stay in the U.S. provided they pay back taxes and penalties.That’s assuming they HAVEN’T PAID taxes; of course, many have. Many employers haven’t. Curious about that …Bubble gum in the dyke ain’t gonna fix the problem; not even until November (which is ALL the GOP and Bushies care about).